Beer Guide 2014: Bunsenbrewer

Aaron Hanson, a scientist by education, majored in
biochemistry at the University of Minnesota. When he realized how much
chemistry is involved in brewing, he set out to combine the two. After a
year of planning, Sandy’s Bunsenbrewer opened for business at the end
of December. The brewery’s branding is science-focused, with the
periodic table and a picture of Einstein hanging on the walls. Tasters
are served in beakers on the kind of rubber tray you’d use to dissect
frogs in high-school biology. We visited a few days after Bunsen opened
to find only two house beers on tap: a Belgian Tripel called the Palmer
and an oatmeal stout called the Planck. Every batch is an experiment,
Hanson says. Our preliminary data was inconclusive. The Belgian Tripel
project went horribly wrong, ending up uncomfortably sour with a sharp
metallic aftertaste. The oatmeal stout was more promising, malty sweet
with mildly toasty aromas. In future tests, Hanson says he will
experiment with styles and recipes until he’s happy with his findings. SAVANNAH WASSERMAN.